The Machiavellian Bind

The stupidity of the Machiavellian retort, which the petit tyrant resorts to without a thought, that the end justifies the means, is that it is he who shouts the loudest -- he who, practically amock, runs back to us (whom he has wronged without shame) -- when the bigger tyrant tramples upon his own rights and strikes at the heart of his ambitions. It is he, moreover, who, short of memory and sanctimonious, proposes to lead the fight against the bigger tyrant. The bigger stupidity is that we tend to oblige him -- because we have pegged our own dwindling hopes on his selfish plans, sold and bought as our Will.

Wisdom takes priority over justice. Without wisdom, justice stands on shaky grounds -- and will not thrive. Without wisdom, you cannot do the right thing consistently.